A Tale Of Three Movies

And for no particular reason other than I saw snippets of all three last night, and thinking about movies (or books or theater or...) is more fun than planning the virtual interrogation, torture, evisceration and mulching of the top 50...somethings.

But they resonated with me, because they are all special. In different ways of course, and all because they failed in some way, and all because they succeeded in some way.

My Cousin Vinny
Most of all because Marisa Tomei is perfect in every way. Watch the movie, and I defy you to find a leaden line or an awkward movement. Pesci is good, although leaden at times, and Fred Gwynne is right behind Tomei in the perfection of his performance, but I can't think of many actors who nailed their parts the way she did.

For Love of the Game
Oh Lord. It's pretty bad. But they tried to show the glory that is baseball. They really, really tried. And they mostly failed. But still, it was an honest effort, marred by the difficulty of the task and the chaotic acting of Kevin Costner, who nails one line, then massacres the next five. And anything that allows one to listen to Vin Scully talk about baseball can't be all bad.

We will not speak of Kelly Preston.

Gladiator
Yes, it is a flawed movie, but there is enough good acting and cinematography to make it a keeper. Russell Crowe worked hard, and it was obvious that he took the role seriously. Joaquin Phoenix was great, and Connie Nielsen was...um...I have no idea. Did she have any lines? All I could see was her ravishing, stunning beauty.

Chat about movies or changing your spark plugs or whatever you wish, because it is an open thread!